Every month of December my children saw Santa Claus all over. This red grandpa was so appealing to them as he gives gifts. Living in Belgium introduced them to yet another grandpa, “Saint Nicolas”, who also gives gifts to good children… Creative as I can be in such situations, I introduced them to the legend “Saba Hanukkah”. This image was born as I wanted to explain to my children that we are Jews, but we live among other religions and each celebrates its holidays differently and everything is accepted. Moreover, I wanted to make sure that I reinforce their Jewish identity and to do so I had to invent tradition… Living among another culture/religion provokes questions on identity, especially when our children are young and we would like to influence and construct their identity. One tip of advice I can give is to think and rethink about identity and what is it that you want your children to be and feel. Once you know that - bring it home. Happy holiday season!
Efrat Tzadik - coach. Find your home away from home
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